Strangers on a Train
by anotherweasley
Summary: Mulder meets someone from Law and Order on his way to help Scully in "Tithonus."


Strangers on a Train  
By: Olivia  
  
"If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that  
his heart is no island cut off from the others lands, but a continent that joins to them."-Francis  
Bacon-"Of Goodness, and Goodness of Nature"  
  
"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor  
afraid...He is the hero, he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet  
an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor, by instinct, by  
inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in  
his world and a good enough man for any world."-Raymond Chandler-"The Simple Art of  
Murder"  
  
  
  
"All aboard!"  
  
The express train to New York City was about to debark from Union Station in Washington,  
D.C. and Mulder needed to be on that train. Scully's life might depend on it. He picked up his  
pace and made it onto the train seconds before it disembarked.  
  
The conductor checked Mulder's ticket and led him to his seat. An older looking man was  
already occupying the window seat which was next to Mulder's. Fear for Scully gnawed at him.   
He had hoped not to have anyone seated next to him for the trip, but it was not to be. As Mulder  
sat down he hoped the man wasn't a big talker. Mulder sat his briefcase with the files about  
Arthur Fellig on his lap.  
  
"Working on a case?" the man seated next to him asking with an easy-going grin.  
  
Mulder started to say something to him in an annoyed tone, but when he turned towards the man  
he caught a glance at the man's holstered sidearm.  
  
The man followed his glance and when he saw what Mulder was looking at, he slowly turned  
over his suit jacket that had been lying on his lap. Mulder could see his Detective shield.  
  
"Sometimes I forget I have a gun after so much time on the force. How long have you been with  
the FBI?" said the man.  
  
The comment made Mulder subconsciously glance at his own holstered weapon. "How did you  
know?" He certainly hadn't shown him his FBI badge.  
  
"The ties always give it away."  
  
Mulder and the man shared wry grins. The man stuck out his hand for Mulder to shake, which  
he did.   
  
"Lennie Briscoe."  
  
"Fox Mulder. But most people just call me Mulder."  
  
"Mulder it is. Are you from the New York FBI field office?"  
  
Mulder's thoughts somberly turned back to the reason why he was headed to New York. And he  
silently prayed that Agent Ritter had reached Scully in time. "No, I'm with the headquarters in  
Washington"  
  
"So you are on a case." Noticing that Mulder seemed agitated, Briscoe said, "Well I won't  
pester you for the details."  
  
Mulder felt sorry for his previous feelings towards this Detective Briscoe. He seemed like an  
okay kinda guy. He politely asked him if he was from New York.  
  
"Yeah, I'm with the 2-7 Precinct up there working on homicide cases. I was in Washington  
lending a hand on a case here by a perp I've dealt with before. What division do you work for in  
the FBI?"  
  
"I work in the X-Files office. Well technically, I should say did work there. Some person or  
persons deliberately set fire to the office. We recovered most of the files, but a panel of Assistant  
Directors decided that my partner and I were not fit to investigate the crimes. Turns out we  
actually care about our work. You push the envelope of your profession and that's when you get  
pushed back. We were reassigned and two other Agents have taken our places in the office.   
We're being punished by doing scut work-background checks, etc. They're hoping were going  
to quit, but we haven't yet. We're hoping to get back into the office."  
  
Briscoe nodded solemnly in agreement. He knew all too well how sometimes a person steps  
over the line in his or her pursuit of justice. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you get back into  
your division. Do you mind me asking what kinds of cases the X-Files investigates?"  
  
"My partner and I investigate crimes involving unexplained phenomena."  
  
Off Briscoe's questioning look, Mulder further explained, "We investigate the paranormal.  
  
"You mean little green men?"  
  
Mulder sighed inwardly. The conversation was over. A typical non-believer. "Something like  
that."  
  
There was silence while Briscoe's thoughts raced. How long was he going to have to sit next to  
this man? Shouldn't this man be committed to Bellevue? How could someone use his tax  
dollars in this manner?  
  
Briscoe's thoughts were interrupted by a question from Mulder. "In your homicide cases, have  
you ever employed a crime scene photographer by the name of Arthur Fellig. He sorta freelances  
from time to time for the New York City precincts."  
  
"Fellig. Fellig," Briscoe repeated to himself. "No, I don't think we've ever used him. Most of  
the people we use are from the Crime Scene Unit. Is he the reason why you're heading to the  
City? You couldn't just call around to do a background check on him?"  
  
"My partner is helping an Agent in the New York field office, an Agent Ritter. Arthur Fellig  
suffocated two people to death in a Connecticut hospital. He walked off a work detail and has  
been loose ever since. Under different aliases, he's currently been working as a crime scene  
photographer in New York City. Seems he has an uncanny knack for taking pictures of dead  
people before the police have been notified if you get my drift." Mulder decided to leave out the  
paranormal aspects of the case due to Briscoe's reaction.  
  
"And this perp is loose in the City!" Briscoe stated angrily and incredibly. "I'm surprised I  
haven't heard about it. There should be a manhunt going on. And this guy has been hiding as a  
crime scene photographer! I guess you never really know the people you work with."  
  
"Agent Ritter was having trouble getting the evidence to arrest this man and so our AD Alvin  
Kersh assigned my partner to assist him. Kersh feels that my partner can still be `saved' but that  
I am a lost cause. Any way, my partner, Scully, is with Fellig right now making certain he  
doesn't flee again. I'm worried. Her cell phone has been turned off, I don't think by her, and  
I'm unable to reach her. Ritter is on his way to arrest Fellig, but Ritter's very green and cocky. I  
just hope she's okay."  
  
Briscoe echoed Mulder's sentiments on his partner well-being. "You've got a female partner?"  
  
"Yes, Dana Scully," Mulder said smiling slightly at thoughts of his partner. "We've been  
partnered for six years together. She's has her medical degree and her specialty is forensic  
science. She's a remarkable person. I wouldn't be where I am today without her."  
  
"You mean running background checks?" Briscoe quipped trying to ease Mulder's worry for his  
partner. Briscoe knew all to well about having partners and the worry that comes when the other  
is in danger and you are helpless to prevent it.  
  
Mulder let out a short laugh and smiled. "Actually, I'm the one who has gotten us in trouble."   
Mulder's thoughts then turned serious. "But she's never complained about it. The truth is as  
much as she is a skeptic and demands proof, she believes in the importance of the work and for  
some reason she believe in me as well. Skeptic and believer. We are quite a pair, but somehow  
it works."  
  
"I know what you mean. I've been through several partners, but my current partner, Rey Curtis,  
and I have been partners for three years now. He's a good Detective and a good person. He's  
passionate about helping bring criminals to justice. He had just been made a Detective when we  
were first partnered together. I didn't much care for him at first out there making rookie  
mistakes and letting himself get carried away with stuff. And I resented him because my last  
partner, Mike, was sent to work down in Staten Island after punching this pompous, arrogant  
Councilman. But after awhile that goes away, and you see your partner as a person, out there,  
just like yourself, working towards the same goal. And then you can't imagine working with  
anyone else. As much as I like to think I've shown him the ropes, he's shown me a thing or two  
as well."  
  
Mulder smiled. "I told Scully the first time I met her that I was under the impression that she  
was sent to spy on me."  
  
Mulder and Briscoe shared wry grins.  
  
The two men suddenly realized that the train was slowing down. They got their belongings  
together.   
  
"Look, Mulder. My partner, Rey, is picking me up at the station. Why don't we give you a ride  
over to this Fellig's place, okay? We'll lend a hand if ya want?"  
  
Mulder nodded and smiled his thanks.  
  
Outside the two found Rey leaning against a car. "Hey, Lennie," said Rey smiling.  
  
"Hi ya, Rey. This is Agent Mulder with the FBI," said Briscoe making the introductions. Curtis  
and Mulder shook hands. "I ran into him on the train. His partner's up her investigating a crime   
scene photographer who kills before he snaps pictures of them. I offered him a ride to this so-  
called photographer's apartment. It's over in Brooklyn. Told him we'd lend a hand if we  
could."  
  
Curtis' smile disappeared. "Is your partner named, Dana Scully?"  
  
Briscoe worriedly looked at Mulder. Mulder replied in the affirmative. Worry consumed him.  
  
"I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this. An Agent Ritter was making the arrest and he shot  
Agent Scully by accident. Mistook her for the perp he was arresting. The shot passed though her  
into the perp killing him. She's still alive and has been rushed to NYU Medical."  
  
"Damn!" was all Mulder could get out.  
  
"Get in," Briscoe said. All three piled in Curtis's car and they rushed to the hospital with sirens  
blaring. 


End file.
